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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. kick — in football
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a song
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cold — not warm
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pop — music
  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