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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a document
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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