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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — in sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. net — for catching
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wind — to turn a key

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