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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. snap — to click
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — of the year
  11. shower — to wash
  12. season — in sport
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fine — all right
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — on your feet

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