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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: kick · cold · rock · hide · jam · cue · rule · fork

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rule — government

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