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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. court — of law
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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