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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a signal

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