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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. net — for catching
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — to visit
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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