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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — happy
  17. cold — not warm
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. rock — music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. content — the amount
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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