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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. net — after costs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — a permit

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