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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a face
  4. shower — rain
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — for pool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cue — a signal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bat — the animal
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — for spectators

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