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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. leaves — to go away

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