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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — a thing
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — a series
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — hasty
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — to protest

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