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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cue — for pool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — final
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — to go on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — in golf
  13. last — finally
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cold — not warm

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