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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. club — a group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — a cake
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — the season
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — to hurry

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