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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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Word bank
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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: can · saw · rock · stand · squash · rule · cue · cold

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — a law
  10. rock — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cue — a hint
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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