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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — the cause
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cold — not warm
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. root — of a word
  22. chest — a box
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a plant

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