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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — thin
  6. band — a ring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. snap — to click
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pop — to visit
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — the animal

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