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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — to add flavour

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