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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — the season
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — a break
  21. swing — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. row — a quarrel

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