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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. cold — an illness
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — not warm
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — of a river
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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