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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. object — an aim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — to protest
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. band — a music group
  24. racket — for tennis

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