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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cue — a signal
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rule — government
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a document
  15. saw — the tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — for pool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pass — to succeed

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