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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ball — a great time
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kick — in football
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cold — an illness
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — electric
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — with a leg

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