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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a ring
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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