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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — a country
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — ground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. land — to come down
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cold — not warm

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