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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chair — a leader
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cold — not warm
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — low music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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