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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to sink
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. hide — animal skin

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