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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kick — in football
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. file — a tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mug — a face
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a document
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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