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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — of the year
  4. march — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — to rip
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — in sport
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. march — the month

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