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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — to cool the air

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