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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chest — a box
  4. cue — for pool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a hint
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — a law
  16. march — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. snap — to click
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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