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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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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lean — to bend
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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