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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spring — a coil
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — to fit
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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