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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — of water
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hide — animal skin

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