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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — a song
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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