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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — final
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — the amount
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. last — to go on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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