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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — to come down
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — a country

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