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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird

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