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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — in music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a signal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — in football
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chair — a professorship

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