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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — the earth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — videos and posts

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