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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cue — for pool
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — there
  9. wind — moving air
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — a friend
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cue — a signal
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — goods
  24. rule — to rule out

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