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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 · row · rock · dip · court · wound · tear · rule

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rule — government
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. court — of a king
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tear — to rip
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rule — a law

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