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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. last — final
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — to go on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — a container
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a signal

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