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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cold — an illness
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — in a road
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. suit — in cards
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kid — to tease
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fork — to eat with

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