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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. field — farmland
  4. track — a path
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — to tease
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cue — for pool
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lean — to rest against

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