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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. file — a tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cold — not warm
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — a stick
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fall — to drop

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