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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cold — an illness
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. snap — to click
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. content — the amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ruler — a monarch

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