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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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