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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — for pool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — of ice
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — the animal

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