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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. row — a line
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — for pool

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