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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — army training
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — a signal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — a practice
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — the tool
  24. degree — temperature

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