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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — a signal
  24. toast — the most admired

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