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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chest — a box
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of a king
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — thin
  24. fork — to eat with

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