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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. net — after costs
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — bread
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — final
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — to rob
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — to go on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. last — finally
  20. mug — a face
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fork — to eat with

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