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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rash — hasty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — for pool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rule — a law
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rash — a series

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