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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hide — animal skin

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