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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — an illness
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — help

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