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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — child
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — a signal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — a cup
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — for pool

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