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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — for a lock
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bulb — for light

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