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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — an explosive

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