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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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 — an illness
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — not warm
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — help
  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