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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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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. can — to be able to
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. current — electric
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — music
  18. hand — help
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. face — to confront

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