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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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rock — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cue — a hint
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — for pool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. 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