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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a signal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — on a finger

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