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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rule — a law
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — help
  11. rush — hurry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — with a leg

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