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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a path
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — for betting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — to keep track
  24. perch — for a bird

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