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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cold — not warm
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  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