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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — an illness
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mouse — 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