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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — a hint
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — on your feet

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