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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pop — soda
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — a phone
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — tied together
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bound — obliged
  21. charge — a price
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — certain

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