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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — happy
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — to hurry

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