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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — in a road
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cold — not warm

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