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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: lie · mate · kid · wake · object · cue · bound · pitch

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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