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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cold — not warm
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. firm — steady
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — music

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