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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
468
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: fork · hand · cue · mine · snap · hide · can · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fork — to eat with

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