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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bear — the animal

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