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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for golf
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — for dancing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cold — not warm
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — an illness
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — a group
  24. sharp — exactly

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