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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — an untruth

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