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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — in music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. club — for golf
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — for pool

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