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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — a hint
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rule — a law
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cue — for pool

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