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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — the season
  24. squash — to crush

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