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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kick — in football
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — an illness
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — boats
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. capital — money
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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