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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: cue · wind · rule · cabinet · perch · mine · spring · fine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — the season
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — of water
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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