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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a great time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. land — a country

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