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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — to rip
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cap — of ice
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to bend

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