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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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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — the season
  8. cold — an illness
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. racket — for tennis

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