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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — a gift
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — in cards
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — there
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. key — for a lock

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