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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a signal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — soda
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. face — to confront

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