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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — to rob
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — hurry
  24. perch — the fish

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