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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. file — a tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a document
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spring — the season
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — to eat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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