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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rule — government
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — to bear
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — a measure

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