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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — a series
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. object — to protest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bear — to put up with

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