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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — a trace
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. clip — a video
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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