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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 I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — a tool
  7. land — ground
  8. row — a line
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — in cards
  21. land — to come down
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cue — for pool

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