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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — steady
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — government
  16. firm — decided
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — the amount
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — to recline
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — for a hammer

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