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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — all right
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — animal skin
  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