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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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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: cue · last · mark · mug · fine · object · lean · ball

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — finally
  9. object — a thing
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. last — final
  14. fine — all right
  15. last — to go on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — to protest
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — an aim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a great time

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