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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: last · roll · rest · snap · racket · rule · craft · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — finally
  5. rule — government
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. last — final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cue — a hint
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. last — to go on
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — boats
  20. rule — a law
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — for pool

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