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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — thin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rule — government
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. field — farmland
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — a law
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — certain
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — for sport

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