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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mug — a face
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — to fit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cold — not warm
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of a king
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — to rob

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