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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 · leaves · mate · firm · cabinet · cue · bat · object

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mate — a friend
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — help
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — a thing
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — steady
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. firm — a company

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