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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spring — the season
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. present — there

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