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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cold — not warm
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cold — an illness
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — help

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