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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cue — a hint
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — for catching
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — after costs
  24. mate — to breed

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