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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: wake · tear · lie · kick · suit · cue · net · chip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — for catching
  19. tear — to rip
  20. net — after costs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — in sport

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