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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pit — in a race
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cold — not warm
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. face — to confront
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. face — to point toward
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — a line
  22. object — to protest
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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