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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. foot — a measure
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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