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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: coach · lash · rest · bear · cue · foot · stick · chip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bear — the animal

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