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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — shares
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stock — goods
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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