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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: cue · bat · pitcher · lash · lie · cabinet · spring · swing

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spring — the season
  20. bat — the animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — of water

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