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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — ground
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pop — to visit
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a great time

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