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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — the season
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. snap — to click
  11. last — to go on
  12. tube — a container
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. last — final
  24. cell — in a prison

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