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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — a position
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. racket — a loud noise

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