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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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