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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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