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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rule — government
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rule — a law
  12. cell — in biology
  13. charge — a price
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — low music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. rest — a break
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — in control

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