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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — for sport
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. court — of law
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of a king
  24. mate — a friend

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