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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cold — an illness
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fan — to cool the air

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