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

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — a signal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — not warm
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — an illness

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