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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — a hint
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. present — a gift
  20. staff — employees
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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