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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. last — to go on
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fine — all right
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mouse — for a computer

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