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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — a company
  6. cue — for pool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — an eyelash

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