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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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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. race — a contest
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. race — humankind
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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