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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kick — in football
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cold — not warm
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — magic
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — letters
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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