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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — a break
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — there
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to click
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — a gift
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stock — shares
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — the time now
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — a phone

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