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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: wake · swing · pitcher · dip · kick · cue · last · lash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — to go on
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. last — final
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a hint
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. swing — music

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