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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. capital — a city
  11. mug — a face
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — an illness
  15. tube — a container
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — money

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