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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — of the year
  11. cold — not warm
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — a permit
  14. object — to protest
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — in sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — in music

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