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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — an illness
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — to handle

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