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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hand — help
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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