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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a great time
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cold — not warm
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — to go away

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