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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — a gift
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. deal — an agreement

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