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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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468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. present — there
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — a gift
  24. spell — letters

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