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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cold — an illness
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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