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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — to push
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — a match
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bat — in an idiom

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