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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: cue · rash · fall · object · mug · bat · suit · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — an aim
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — clothes
  10. object — to protest
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fall — the season
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — to fit

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