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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. row — a line
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — a law
  16. stem — to come from
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  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