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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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