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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. cue — a hint
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — decided
  8. cold — an illness
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — an aim
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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