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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — electric
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — happening now
  17. cold — not warm
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — of water
  20. spell — letters
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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