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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — for golf
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cue — for pool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — for dancing

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