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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. face — to confront
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. roll — a list
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ball — a great time
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mug — a face

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