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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · mouse · hide · face · fall · cold · can · nail

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — to be able to
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — not warm
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mark — a trace
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cold — an illness

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