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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — electric
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pass — a permit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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