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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. mate — a friend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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