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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — a phone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — for pool

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