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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fine — all right
  13. cold — not warm
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cold — an illness
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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