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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — an illness
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mark — a trace

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