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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. march — the month
  12. last — final
  13. march — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. last — finally

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