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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — in golf
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. capital — money
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — to be able to

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