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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — a price
  3. last — to go on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. kick — in football
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — not warm
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. last — final
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — finally
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — government
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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