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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chest — a box
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — a group
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cold — an illness
  24. chest — of your body

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