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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rule — government

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