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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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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — government
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — part of the head

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