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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — final
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — to go on
  24. rule — to rule out

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