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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · tear · swing · safe · cue · cold

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. swing — music
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. tear — to rip
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — a hint

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