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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fine — all right
  8. object — to protest
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — part of the head

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