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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — for golf
  11. cue — a hint
  12. club — a group
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — government
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — a signal
  24. club — for dancing

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