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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — for catching
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — ground
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — to come down
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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