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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. toast — bread
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. season — in sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — for pool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rule — government

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