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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — magic
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal

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