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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rock — a stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. branch — a division
  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