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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. degree — temperature
  9. firm — a company
  10. cold — not warm
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — to lash out

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