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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mate — a partner
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cold — not warm
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bound — obliged

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