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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. firm — a company
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — in control
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — rain
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — high quality

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