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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 120 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. The water is too ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cold — an illness
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — an injury
  13. march — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — to eat
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — a supporter

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