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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: firm · wound · spell · pit · present · cue · foot · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. present — there
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cue — a signal
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — a gift
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a hint
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — letters
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. spell — magic
  19. pit — a hole
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — part of the body

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