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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a hint
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — government

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