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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: cue · nail · clip · toast · hide · can · coach · net

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. clip — a video
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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