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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. net — for catching
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — part of the body

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