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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: mug · spring · cue · kid · bass · pit · foot · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mug — a face
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — a coil
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — the instrument

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