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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 124 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cell — a phone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a ring
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — a signal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cue — a hint
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to click
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cell — in biology

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