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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — in control
  10. cold — an illness
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cold — not warm
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — for a lock
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. scale — in music

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