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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ground — a position
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bore — to drill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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