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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · perch · mug · sharp · cue · chip · wound · rash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — a series
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — a cup
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rule — a law
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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