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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — government
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a hint
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — a law
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — a straw man

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