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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. track — a path
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

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