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

Word bank: lie · bear · band · squash · mate · mug · cue · cell

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a music group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a face
  17. cell — a phone
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — to breed

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