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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a hint
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cold — an illness
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hide — animal skin

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