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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. lash — an eyelash

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