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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cold — not warm
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — ministers

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