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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rash — a series
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — a hint

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