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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rule — government
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — a break
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bass — low music
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — a law
  21. last — final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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