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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the sport
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. swing — to play on

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