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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rule — a law
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kid — child
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — to breed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cue — a hint

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