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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — a signal
  5. root — the cause
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — low music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a football final

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