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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a hint
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — clothes
  17. last — to go on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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