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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · hand · cold · lean · cabinet · calf · bore · pitcher

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — help
  23. cold — an illness
  24. hand — in cards

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