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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bank — for money
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — a law
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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