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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth

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