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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — a group
  3. cue — a hint
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. club — for golf

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