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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chest — a box
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cue — a signal

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