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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cold — not warm
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rule — government
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — part of the body

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