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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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