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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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