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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — 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