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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. root — of a plant
  3. board — a committee
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cold — not warm
  12. spring — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. spring — a coil
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — a horse colour

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