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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a ring
  7. mate — to breed
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — a friend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. band — a music group
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — a tool

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