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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — part of the head

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