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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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