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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — dry grass

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