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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chest — of your body
  15. content — the amount
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — a signal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. content — happy
  23. cue — a hint
  24. coach — a trainer

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