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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rule — government
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — letters
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rule — a law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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