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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · cue · swing · lash · content · rock · bear · mug

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — in golf
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — for pool

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