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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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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 · roll · leaves · foot · snap · date · lean · rule

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. roll — a list
  6. rule — a law
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. date — the fruit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. cue — a signal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lean — thin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. snap — to click

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