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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: suit · cue · hide · object · ball · scale · clip · lean

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. object — an aim
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — a video
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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