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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cold — an illness

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