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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cue — a hint
  8. clip — for paper
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cold — an illness
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — to cut
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  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