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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. drill — army training
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. present — there
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cue — for pool

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