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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — help
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kick — in football
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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