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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — a hat
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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