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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — in golf
  17. suit — clothes
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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