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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 met the new head ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hand — help
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — in cards

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