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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: lie · file · shower · cue · rash · deal · track · board

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — to recline
  7. shower — rain
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — a song
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — a series

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