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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — a thrill

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