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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cold — not warm
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chip — to eat

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