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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — for pool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to click

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