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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — a line
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — a series
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — for pool
  24. row — to paddle

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