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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. band — a music group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mug — a face
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mug — to rob
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. charge — a price
  23. cold — not warm
  24. band — a ring

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