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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. row — a line

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