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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cue — for pool
  24. suit — in cards

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