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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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