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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a hint
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to click
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant

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