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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — in sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. season — of the year
  19. file — a document
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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