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

Word bank: kid · cue · leaves · toast · foot · fine · wound · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — a hint
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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