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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — a container
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — a horse colour

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