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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cell — a phone

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