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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hand — help
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cell — a phone

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