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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — of the year
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. land — to come down
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. land — a country
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — in sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — music
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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