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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — to protest
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chest — a box
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — a hole

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