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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — a price
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. cold — an illness
  24. shower — to wash

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