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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. squash — to crush
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to click
  7. cold — not warm
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — for betting

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