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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lean — thin
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — hurry

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