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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cue — for pool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. snap — to click
  21. bore — to drill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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