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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — a friend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — to breed

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