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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — for money
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stem — to come from

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