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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — for pool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — after costs
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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