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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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