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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — steady
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — help
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cold — not warm
  18. face — to point toward
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. face — to confront
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cold — an illness
  24. firm — a company

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