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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 116 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 · stick · row · cue · nail · safe · kid · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — government
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spell — magic
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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