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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 116 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: fall · cue · stick · mine · cap · ruler

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — the season
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — for pool

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