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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 120 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: wind · dip · cell · ruler · last · cue · suit · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — a hint
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — in cards
  15. last — finally
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — final
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hide — to keep secret

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