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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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