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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ground — a position
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — clothes

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