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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — final
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. last — finally
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to click
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — a signal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — rain
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. last — to go on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pass — a permit

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