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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. drill — army training
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. deal — a big deal

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