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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cold — an illness
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. spell — letters
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rash — a series
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wound — an injury

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