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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — of the year
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. suit — clothes
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — a hat
  21. object — a thing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — an injury
  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