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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — in cards
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rock — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — not warm
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. root — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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