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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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