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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: clip · cabinet · squash · cue · lie · last · fork · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — to go on
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — final
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — bread
  23. last — finally
  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