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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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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 · chest · suit · cue · bound · mark · sharp · last

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. bound — obliged
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chest — a box

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