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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cue — a hint
  14. branch — a division
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cue — a signal
  24. perch — for a bird

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