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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kid — child
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — decided
  21. face — part of the head
  22. firm — steady
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — to put up with

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