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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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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: prune · cue · bound · game · foot · mouse · lie · coach

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — obliged
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bound — certain
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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