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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a skill
  19. staff — employees
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — for pool

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