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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.

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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kick — in football
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — certain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cue — a signal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kick — a thrill

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