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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cue — for pool
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — government
  24. bore — to tire

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