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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — a hat
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bound — certain

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