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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — for pool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a friend
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — a signal

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