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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — after costs
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. race — the arms race
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — in sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — humankind
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — in a road

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