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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. row — a line
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — to paddle

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