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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — high quality
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — from crying

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