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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 · sharp · hide · face · kid · object · content · coach

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — to protest
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — the amount
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — an aim
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cue — a signal
  22. face — to confront
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kid — child

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