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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — a weight
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pound — for dogs

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