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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 water is too ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a lid
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — to crush

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