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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — to come down
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — ground
  23. object — an aim
  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