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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spring — of water
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. roll — a cake
  10. key — for a lock
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rule — government
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. roll — a list
  20. chest — a box
  21. spring — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — a hint

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