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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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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: rule · ground · fan · bear · stick · cue · lie · present

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ground — crushed
  3. present — there
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — a position

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