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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. last — to go on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. last — finally
  10. cue — for pool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — a signal

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