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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — in a road

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