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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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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: craft · dip · kick · mug · cold · firm · tear · scale

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. scale — in music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — in football
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tear — from crying
  24. kick — with a leg

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