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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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