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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — there
  18. cue — for pool
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lie — to recline

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