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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cap — of ice

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