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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. game — a match
  8. object — an aim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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