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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cold — not warm
  24. snap — to click

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