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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — a video
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lie — to recline
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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