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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. craft — boats
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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