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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. band — a ring
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — high quality
  10. capital — a city
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — money
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a music group
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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