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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — soda
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pop — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — a position

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