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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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Word bank
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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — an injury

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