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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mate — to breed
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. content — the amount
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — to lash out

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