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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — all right
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — help
  21. kick — in football
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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