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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for golf
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — a group
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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