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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a line
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — not warm
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lie — an untruth

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