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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. land — to come down
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — soda
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. chest — a box
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — ground
  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