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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cold — not warm
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ground — a position
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ground — the earth
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cold — an illness
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — help
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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