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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chair — a leader
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rule — government
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bat — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — a law
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bat — for baseball

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