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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pop — soda
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bear — the animal

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