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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. spell — magic
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. race — a contest
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. race — humankind
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cold — not warm

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