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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cold — an illness

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