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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a hint
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — a gift
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — a cup
  12. drill — a practice
  13. present — there
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — a break
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — to rob
  19. suit — to fit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mug — a face
  24. present — the time now

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