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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — hasty

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