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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — a face
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a lid
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cold — an illness
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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