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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lie — to recline
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. last — finally
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — to go on
  13. cold — an illness
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — not warm
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. squash — to crush
  24. last — final

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