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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rock — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a signal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — to keep track

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