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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: net · saw · squash · lie · hand · cue · cabinet · date

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cue — a signal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — after costs
  24. squash — the sport

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