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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cold — an illness
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — magic
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spell — letters

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