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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — a thing
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — an aim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — to protest
  24. bulb — of a plant

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