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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cue — a hint
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — certain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. dip — to sink

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