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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — finally
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. last — final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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