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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — there
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. last — final
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to bend

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