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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. club — a group
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spring — a coil
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spring — the season
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — for pool

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