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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: rule · cue · last · key · rest · stem · snap · kick

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rule — a law
  5. cue — a hint
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — government
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. kick — in football
  21. key — in music
  22. rest — a break
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. key — the most important part

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