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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — a country
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — the fruit
  13. clip — a video
  14. sharp — clever
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — to recline
  17. land — to come down
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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