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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. jam — a tight spot

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