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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rule — a law
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — government
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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