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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mouse — the animal

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