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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. jam — a tight spot

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