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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — the earth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bound — certain
  24. hide — to keep secret

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