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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chest — a box
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rule — a law
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wake — before a funeral

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