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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — the season
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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