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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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