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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fall — the season
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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