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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · bound · mate · kid · lie · hide · current · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — child
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — happening now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bound — certain
  24. hide — to keep secret

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