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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — for pool
  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