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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a document
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — a trail

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