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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tube — a container
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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