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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. plane — a tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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