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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spell — a short time
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spell — magic
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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