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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — army training
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rule — a law
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. drill — a practice

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