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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · lie · wake · cabinet · object · board · cue · kid

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. kid — child
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. object — to protest
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — a match
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a kind of play

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