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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 120 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hand — help
  19. pop — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — a sauce
  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