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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spring — a coil
  7. squash — to crush
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stand — for spectators

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