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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rule — a law
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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