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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. kick — in football
  10. craft — a skill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ground — the earth
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cold — not warm

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