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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. cold — not warm
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cold — an illness
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — boats
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — a series
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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