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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cold — an illness
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — low music

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