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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — a thing
  5. roll — a list
  6. cold — an illness
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pit — in a race
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — hurry

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