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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — a box
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — in music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — a part of something

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