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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tube — a container
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — the month
  13. season — in sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. cold — an illness
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cold — not warm
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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