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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: bulb · chip · rule · wind · coach · kick · cue · last

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. last — to go on
  24. kick — a thrill

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