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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — a position
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — crushed
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — a signal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — the earth

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