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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — a container
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — child
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com