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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rock — to move gently

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