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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. rest — a break
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — a company
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cold — not warm

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