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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — not warm
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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