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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. board — to get on

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