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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. spell — a short time
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — a penalty
  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