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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cold — an illness
  24. patient — a sick person

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