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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 124 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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — to wash
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. suit — to fit
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rule — government
  24. cue — a signal

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