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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. season — of the year
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — in sport
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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