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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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