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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — a group
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — a signal
  24. club — for dancing

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