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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.

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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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. last — to go on
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — finally
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — not warm
  14. fine — all right
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. last — final
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — a penalty

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