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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — a signal
  4. object — an aim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a document
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — music
  16. mate — a partner
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the vegetable

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