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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: lie · suit · game · squash · row · cue · fine · tear

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — a hint
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a signal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tear — to rip
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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