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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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