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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: hand · fork · bear · hide · cell · cue · mate · roll

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hand — help
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. roll — a list
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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