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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — a series
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rash — on the skin

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