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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rule — a law
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cold — an illness
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cold — not warm
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rule — government
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. drill — a practice
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — clever

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