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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cold — not warm
  9. toast — bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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