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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — size or range
  9. toast — bread
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lie — an untruth
  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