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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — the season
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a lid

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