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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. snap — to click
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — for pool
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — a trace

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