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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. present — there
  4. cue — a hint
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — a trail

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