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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 116 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: suit · lie · cue · leaves · last · game · nail · lean

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — thin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lean — to bend

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