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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cue — a hint
  14. drill — army training
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — the sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — to breed

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