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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 116 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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cold — an illness
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — in football
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bank — of a river

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