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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ground — a position
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lie — an untruth

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