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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · lash · cue · chair · spring · board · can · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. spring — a coil
  9. board — to get on
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spring — the season
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — of water

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