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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — to sink
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. race — humankind
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — a contest
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pit — a hole
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — electricity

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