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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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Word bank
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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: stick · chest · bound · date · dip · cue · current · rule

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — happening now
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rule — government
  8. bound — certain
  9. cue — a hint
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bound — obliged
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — a box
  24. bound — tied together

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