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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — a price
  13. fall — the season
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — to fit
  21. charge — in control
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cold — not warm

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