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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rule — government
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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