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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — to visit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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