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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a hint
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rush — a thrill

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