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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — for pool
  3. present — there
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — to tire
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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