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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: cue · cold · rule · firm · saw · cap · staff · stem

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — a company
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rule — government
  14. cold — not warm
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — for pool
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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