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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 116 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: lean · cue · hand · bear · current · mug · spell · hide

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hand — help
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a face
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — of water
  23. mug — to rob
  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