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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. firm — steady
  24. hand — help

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