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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: bat · bark · lie · lean · jam · pit · squash · cue

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — thin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — the sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — to recline
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — to rest against

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