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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. capital — a big letter

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