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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cue — a signal
  4. roll — a list
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. present — there
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — a break

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