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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: cue · pitcher · present · lash · wound · chair · mouse · firm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — a gift
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — a company
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — decided

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