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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cold — an illness
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — in music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — the most important part
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. calf — of the leg

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