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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. branch — a division
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — to confront
  24. branch — of a bank

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