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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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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 · band · cell · net · cue · lash · lie · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — for catching
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — after costs
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — a hint
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cell — a phone

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