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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: drill · sharp · bay · cell · rule · chair · cue · pass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — army training
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — to sit on

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