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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — a line
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — a signal

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