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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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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: prune · mug · season · lash · coach · band · firm · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a music group
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — to rob

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