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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: mug · squash · cue · last · net · hide · cabinet · mate

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — animal skin

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