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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. present — there
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. present — the time now
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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