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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · fan · fall · cold · chip · drill · pass · key

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. pass — to spend time
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — army training
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — a practice
  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