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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cold — not warm
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a dance
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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