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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cold — not warm
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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