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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tear — to rip
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — in a tire

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