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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — a coil
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — a thing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. object — an aim
  22. cold — not warm
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lean — thin

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