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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — of water
  6. cold — an illness
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — the season
  12. track — a path
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — in cards
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a song
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — in cards

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