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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. roll — a list
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a ring
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — a trainer

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