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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · foot · hand · cue · cold · rash · lean · chip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cold — not warm
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lean — thin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — a series
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lean — to bend

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