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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. net — for catching
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — not warm
  21. key — the most important part
  22. race — a contest
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. leaves — lets stay

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