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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — a break
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. snap — to click
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bass — the fish
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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