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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cold — not warm
  4. toast — bread
  5. object — an aim
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. track — a song
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. object — a thing
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — an illness

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