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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — a container
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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