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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. court — of a king
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. dip — to dunk

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