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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — help
  5. key — in music
  6. current — happening now
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chip — to eat
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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