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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. march — the month
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — in music
  15. shower — rain
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — the animal

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