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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — for pool
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — a skill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. court — of a king
  24. fall — the season

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