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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cold — an illness
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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