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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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