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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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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: fan · cue · hide · net · ground · fine · straw · bore

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — after costs
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — all right
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — crushed

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