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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cold — an illness
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — to breed
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — completely
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. object — to protest
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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