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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to bend
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — thin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bass — the instrument

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