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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spell — a short time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — letters
  7. cold — an illness
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — the time now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — not warm

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