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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — final
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cold — not warm

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