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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — with an edge

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