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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. file — a tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — to pay attention

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