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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 cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — wild animals
  19. charge — in control
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a match

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