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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kid — child
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. key — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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