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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chest — a box
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chest — of your body
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. perch — for a bird

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