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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — boats
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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