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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spring — a coil
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — to rob

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