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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — a hint
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. date — the fruit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — a container
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a document
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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