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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — a thing
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. object — an aim
  17. cold — not warm
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — a measure
  24. saw — the tool

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