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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lean — to bend
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. row — a line
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — in football
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — a face
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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