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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. current — electric
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. current — happening now
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — of water
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — a list
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — all right
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cold — the Cold War

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