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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cold — an illness
  16. sharp — clever
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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