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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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