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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kid — child
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — a country
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. land — to come down
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. squash — to crush

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