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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — to fit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — money
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a city
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — the season

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