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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · foot · deal · pitcher · tear · scale · cue · wave

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cue — a hint
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — to recline
  24. foot — part of the body

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