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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — to rip
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — happening now
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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