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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pop — soda
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — of water
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pop — music
  24. bear — the animal

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