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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: cap · cue · straw · lash · ball · mug · bear · bulb

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — a hat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — to put up with

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