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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. shower — rain
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — to paddle
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a line
  20. kick — in football
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a hint

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