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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 water is too ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cold — an illness
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — a series
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. foot — a measure
  13. race — a contest
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. charge — in control
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. toast — bread
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. race — the arms race
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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