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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cell — a phone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cell — in biology
  10. board — to get on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — a committee
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — clothes
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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