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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cold — an illness

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