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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.

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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — an illness
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. safe — a strongbox

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