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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. shower — rain
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. capital — money
  9. rash — hasty
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rash — a series
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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