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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — ground
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cold — an illness
  11. snap — to click
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — to come down
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — a country
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. deal — an agreement

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