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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. dip — to sink
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fall — the season
  22. mate — to breed
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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