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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — for sport
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of a king
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. present — a gift
  24. mark — to pay attention

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