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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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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: cabinet · ground · kick · ball · cue · snap · stick · rest

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — crushed
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — a position
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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