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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — to fit
  3. track — a song
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cue — a hint
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — to recline
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bat — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. cue — a signal

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