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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. present — the time now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — there
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. bulb — for light

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