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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cold — an illness
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — to rip
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mouse — for a computer

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