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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a face
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. club — for golf
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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