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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. last — to go on
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — to rob
  16. last — final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chair — a leader
  21. last — finally
  22. mug — a face
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. plane — a tool

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