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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — to get on
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — of ice
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a lid
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — to pay attention

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