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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — a lid
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — a signal

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