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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. tube — a container
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rush — a thrill

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