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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — certain
  3. cold — an illness
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kid — child
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kid — to tease
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — an eyelash

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