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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — clever
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fall — the season
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — for golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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