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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.

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: kid · cue · wound · leaves · nail · pit · mouse · game

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a signal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — child
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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