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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — for pool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — a path
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — a song
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cue — a hint
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — thin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — of the year
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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