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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — in football
  3. drill — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. drill — army training
  14. cap — a hat
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cue — a signal
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — a stem cell

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