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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · file · rule · cue · patient · capital · lie · mouse

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. file — a document
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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