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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — a stick
  8. land — ground
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — the arms race
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. race — humankind
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. fine — high quality

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