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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — for pool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lean — thin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to rest against

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