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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cold — not warm
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cap — a lid

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