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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — soda
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to click
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — a stick

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