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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cold — an illness
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — bread
  9. present — a gift
  10. cold — not warm
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — the arms race
  13. degree — temperature
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — from a university
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — there
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. race — humankind
  24. suit — clothes

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