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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cell — in biology
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cell — a phone
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fine — all right

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