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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. net — for catching
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — in sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cue — a signal
  19. shower — rain
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mug — a face

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