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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — help
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. present — the time now
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — final
  20. dip — to sink
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a friend

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