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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a song
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — a tin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — for pool

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