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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 124 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cold — not warm
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cold — an illness
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — there
  21. hand — help
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bore — gave birth

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