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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cue — for pool
  4. club — a group
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rule — government
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — for golf
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. chair — a professorship

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