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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. shower — to wash
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — bread
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — for sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — animal skin

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