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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pop — music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pop — soda
  12. charge — a price
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — to protest
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — a video
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cue — for pool

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