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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — a phone
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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