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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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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: key · bay · cue · bowl · wind · bore · stick · hide

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bowl — to roll

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