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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. drill — army training
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mug — a face
  14. cold — not warm
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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