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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. object — to protest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. object — a thing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — in sport

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