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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pit — in a race

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