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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mug — a face
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — in control
  20. cold — not warm
  21. charge — a price
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. safe — a strongbox

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