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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hand — help
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rest — a break
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — in a tire

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