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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — a thing
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — of a word
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — to protest
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — certain
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. root — the cause

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