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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. current — happening now
  9. rule — government
  10. band — a ring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. leaves — lets stay

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