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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fork — in a road
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cold — not warm
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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