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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — a stick
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cold — not warm
  11. firm — a company
  12. cold — an illness
  13. firm — steady
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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