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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. toast — bread
  24. fan — to cool the air

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