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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a great time
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — boats
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a dance
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bass — low music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. toast — bread
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. cold — an illness

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