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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 120 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for golf
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — before a funeral

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