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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bound — certain
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ball — a dance

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