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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — size or range
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cold — not warm
  17. scale — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. scale — for weighing

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