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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — the cause
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — an illness
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a word
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — of a plant

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