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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. firm — decided
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — a company
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — steady
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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