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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. field — farmland
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — a dish

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