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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — to drill

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