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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. present — there
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  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