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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. shower — to wash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. arm — part of the body

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