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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · squash · kick · cue · rule · present

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — a gift
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — there
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — a law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cold — not warm
  13. kick — in football
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cue — a hint

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