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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · spring · cue · rush · foot · ground

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — a position
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — to keep secret

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