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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a list
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cold — an illness
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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