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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 116 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: mate · wind · stick · pit · rash · rest · lean · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — a break
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — a partner

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