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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. roll — a cake
  8. charge — in control
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. deal — to handle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — to paddle
  18. squash — to crush
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a line
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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