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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — an illness

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