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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chest — a box
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a song
  14. cold — not warm
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. club — for golf
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — a group
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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