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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — not warm
  5. suit — to fit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — army training
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — a tin

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