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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: bat · wake · deal · suit · cold · cue · bay · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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