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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rush — hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to click
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — for betting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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