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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. present — a gift
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. present — there
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rule — a law
  22. tube — a container
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — to lash 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