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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. club — a group
  3. cold — an illness
  4. march — the month
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — a permit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cold — not warm
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — to succeed

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