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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — humankind
  8. cell — in biology
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — to tire
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a skill

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