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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: present · mug · dip · bear · cue · track · lie · spring

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mug — a cup
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spring — of water
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a face
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — there
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — a gift
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — a coil
  24. present — the time now

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