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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fall — the season
  3. rock — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — a price
  11. race — humankind
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — in control
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a football final

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