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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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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 · sharp · cell · board · snap · pass · band · cue

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a ring
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — a permit
  15. band — a music group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — a hint
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a committee
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — to recline

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