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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — in football
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. march — music
  24. spell — magic

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