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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cue — for pool
  8. kick — in football
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — animal skin

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