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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
468
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: lash · cold · rock · mine · cue · leaves · nail · game

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cold — an illness
  7. game — wild animals
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  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