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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 120 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: season · ball · saw · rule · content · lean · lie · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — happy
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rule — government
  17. content — the amount
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lie — an untruth

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