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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — finally
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — in football
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. last — final
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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