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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — the amount
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cold — an illness
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. race — a contest
  15. cold — not warm
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. band — a ring
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — happy
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — a measure
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. race — humankind

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