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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. firm — decided
  5. file — a tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — for golf
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cold — not warm
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — a lid
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. firm — a company
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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