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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — a thrill

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