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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cue — a hint
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a signal
  10. last — final
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. last — to go on

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