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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chest — a box
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — to keep track

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